I started this new remote position about 6 months ago. The manager is kind of forgetful and goes on tangents while showing me new parts of the job or just talking about work things in general. This might be relevant.
In the beginning, he said he doesn't want to be a micromanager and works at different times different days since his kids play sports etc.
Well, about a week in and already he got frustrated because he wants me as a new employee to come to him anytime I have a question. Even when his status says Do Not Disturb. I had been waiting for him to become available to ask questions. Then a week later, if I have a question while he is offline, I should email him instead of asking it first thing the next morning (this confused me but whatever). Then the next week, I shouldn't message him during his Do Not Distrub time since that is when he is trying to accomplish tasks (contradicts his previous request). At the end of my third month, he established I should email him when I have appointments or want to request PTO instead of messaging him on Teams, i need to take my lunch at 12 and keep to my schedule of 7-4 so he knew when I was on to give me tasks. But in his words he still isn't trying to micromanage me so just let him know when I'll be away from my computer for longer than 30 minutes. The next week I had a personal call I was expecting that was 15 minutes tops so i needed to briefly leave our conversation to take it. But of course he says I need to tell him when I will have personal calls next time. It goes on and on like this with him adding new things I need to tell him about.
Like today, my manager's boss, who is our director, has been running training sessions monthly, which I thought my manager was aware of. I had a training today so I had to put down a task I was doing for my manager to attend. When I got out of training, my manager asked if it was done and I said not yet since I just got out of a 1 hour training. He calls me to say I need to tell him whenever our director or anyone else gives me anything to do or when I have a training I have to do so that he can tell me what to prioritize.
They all seem like simple asks reading this back but in the moment it feels like I am being extremely micromanaged and it is affecting me to the point that I resent having to talk to him at all. Like what's going to be the problem this time?? Is this normal? My last two corporate jobs were also remote and I was never expected to tell my manager this level of detail about things going on in my life.